Canada look forward to freezing out competition at World Cup qualifiers
With two home games scheduled for November in the final round of Concacaf 2022 World Cup qualifying, Canada Soccer is exacting a bit of a payback, deciding to play the games at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton
Author of the article:
Derek Van Diest
Canada celebrates after scoring a goal during a 2022 World Cup Qualifying match against El Salvador at BMO Field in September. Getty Images Photo by Vaughn Ridley /Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Article contentFor too long, the Canadian men’s national soccer team has travelled to play FIFA World Cup qualifiers in hostile environments under extreme weather conditions, unable to return the favour.
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Article contentNow, with two home games scheduled for November in the final round of Concacaf 2022 World Cup qualifying, Canada Soccer is exacting a bit of a payback, deciding to play the games at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.
Canada will host Costa Rica on Nov. 12 and Mexico on Nov. 16, a time of year where temperatures can dip well below freezing. The stadium seating capacity is 56,400 and currently, there aren’t any restrictions on crowd size in Alberta due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s a World Cup 2026 city, and having been in Commonwealth when Christine Sinclair scored that penalty (2015 Women’s World Cup), we know that stadium can sell out and it was a sea of red in that game; It’s got a history of supporting Canadian teams,†said Canada head coach John Herdman on Friday. “Another thing is that, it’s about controlling our own destiny. We could have made things easier playing in maybe different environments, but we wanted to make it difficult for the opponent and we wanted to make them travel across times zones and play in a Canadian winter on a surface they won’t be happy with.
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Article content“We get a chance to play two matches at home in an environment we can control and get our players acclimatized to and ready to create a fortress out west. I’m excited for that aspect.â€
Commonwealth Stadium has not hosted a men’s World Cup qualifying game since Oct. 15, 2008, when Canada drew 2-2 with Mexico in front of 14,145 fans, on the road to South Africa 2010.
The Canadian men have not qualified for the World Cup since their only appearance in Mexico 1986.
“It will also be a chance to bring Phonzie (Alphonso Davies) home,†Herdman said of the Edmonton star currently playing at Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga. “That kid has done so much for this country. Whether it’s his speech that lit up the world (in Russia) and helped Canada land 2026, or what he’s achieved on a global stage.
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Article content“To allow him to come home and be appreciated by the people who have watched him from afar, I think it’s a great little story line. We’re excited for this one, these are two big home matches and we’re going to need everything about home to help us through.â€
Prior to Edmonton, Canada will have three qualifiers coming up this month, travelling to face Mexico on Oct. 7, Jamaica on Oct. 10, and returning to BMO Field in Toronto to host Panama on Oct. 13.
Canada started the final round of qualifying with a home tie against Honduras, an away tie against the United States and a 3-0 victory against El Salvador at BMO Field. Canada is playing in the final round of World Cup qualifying for the first time since 1997.
The top three teams in the eight-team qualifying group earn automatic berths into the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the fourth-place team moving on to a continental playoff against a team from another region for an extra berth into the 32-team tournament.
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Article contentAfter three of 14 games, Canada currently sits tied for second with the United States and Panama, two points behind leaders Mexico.
Along with announcing the venue for the November qualifying window, Herdman also released his roster of 27 players for the upcoming games in October. It includes Davies, strikers Jonathan David and Cyle Larin, midfielders Stephen Eustaquio, Atiba Hutchinson, and Tajon Buchanan, who all played big roles in Canada’s first three games of the qualifiers.
The roster was extended because of a few injury and health issues with some players, who Herdman hopes will be available at some point during the three games.
“It’s a complex window this one,†Herdman said. “We got lucky in September where we had everyone come in healthy and fresh and we could carry all 23 players because we didn’t have any yellow cards and we had no travel restrictions.
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Article content“But this window is complicated. We have COVID cases (goalkeeper Milan Borjan), we have travel restrictions for Junior Hoilett (from England) into Mexico, we have injuries and we’re carrying five yellow cards. And the referee in the first game happens to be the referee who dished out 11 in the first game of the Gold Cup, so it’s going to be a wild window.â€
Getting a result in Mexico will be difficult for Canada, considering heat, altitude and hostile crowd expected at the famed Azteca Stadium. But their chances are better in Jamaica and will likely need a win against Panama to stay in contention for a top-three spot in the group heading into the three games in November.
“Playing at home is the best way to finish this window,†Herdman said. “The boys are going to go away for two games and go to war away from home and already we’re excited about that as well.
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Article content“Then to come home and feel that control you have when you’re in your home country, then you get to the stadium and you get that sense of the crowd willing you on. We’re excited for this, every game is like a cup final to us, but it’s even more special when we get to sing that anthem at home and get to celebrate at the end of a game with a group of fans like we did last time. There is no better feeling than that.â€
Email: dvandiest@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @DerekVanDiest
CANADA ROSTER
GK â€" Milan Borjan | SRB / FK Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade)
GK â€" Maxime Crépeau | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
GK â€" James Pantemis | CAN / CF Montréal
CB â€" Derek Cornelius | GRE / Panetolikos FC
CB â€" Doneil Henry | KOR / Suwon Samsung Bluewings
CB â€" Kamal Miller | CAN / CF Montréal
CB â€" Steven Vitória | POR / Moreirense FC
FB â€" Samuel Adekugbe | TUR / Hatayspor FC
FB â€" Zachary Brault-Guillard | CAN / CF Montréal
FB â€" Alistair Johnston | USA / Nashville SC
FB â€" Richie Laryea | CAN / Toronto FC
M â€" Stephen Eustáquio | POR / FC Paços de Ferreira
M â€" Liam Fraser | USA / Columbus Crew SC
M â€" Atiba Hutchinson | TUR / BeÅŸiktaÅŸ JK
M â€" Mark-Anthony Kaye | USA / Colorado Rapids
M â€" Jonathan Osorio | CAN / Toronto FC
M â€" Samuel Piette | CAN / CF Montréal
M â€" David Wotherspoon | SCO / St. Johnstone FC
F â€" Charles-Andreas Brym | NED / FC Eindhoven
F â€" Lucas Cavallini | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
F â€" Jonathan David | FRA / Lille OSC
F â€" Cyle Larin | TUR / BeÅŸiktaÅŸ JK
W â€" Tajon Buchanan | USA / New England Revolution
W â€" Alphonso Davies | GER / FC Bayern München
W â€" David Junior Hoilett | ENG / Reading FC
W â€" Liam Millar | SUI / FC Basel
W â€" Jacob Shaffelburg | CAN / Toronto FC
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